Abstract

Virtual Reality (VR) provides an immersive and engaging experience that facilitates the teaching and learning of abstract concepts. This paper describes the design and implementation of the VR 360° (VR360) component of the Virtual and Augmented Reality for Structures (VARS) mobile application. This study used VARS to teach basic structural systems to 109 project and facilities management undergraduates. Based on a questionnaire survey, most students agreed that VARS VR360 helped them achieve learning outcomes. Furthermore, the study found that physics background and cybersickness did not influence the perceived effectiveness of the application, but authentic context and immersiveness are important design elements. The contributions of this paper are threefold: (1) the development of a VR360 mobile application for teaching basic structural systems concepts to non-engineering students; (2) the demonstration of how VR360 can be an effective medium for improving the teaching of structural systems to non-engineering students; (3) the identification of critical design elements and factors that influence the perceived effectiveness of VR360 educational technology.